5 

?» 

X 


Published  by  the  Union  Republican  Congressional  Committee,  Washington,  D.  C. 
Kppnblished  by  the  Union  R^pnblican  State  Central  Committee  for  California. 


IF>  IE  E!  O  :E3I 


HON.  W.  H.  WADSWORTH, 

At  Flemingsburg,  Kentucky,  June  13,  1868. 


FELLOW-CITIZENS  :  A  small  portion  of  the 
great  Union  people  of  the  United  States,  we 
h:\ve  met  here  to-day  to  choose  our  leaders, 
declare  our  faith,  and  give  our.  reasons.  The 
duty  of  speaking  has  devolved  upon  me. 
However  much  I  may  have  wished  to  avoid 
that  duty  I  have  not  been  able  to  do  so,  and 
am  here  to-day  to  discharge  it  to  the  best  of 
my  ability. 

We  are  here  to  ratify  with  great  cheerful- 
ness. •'  shut  up  in  measureless  content."  the 
nomination  of  Grant  and  Colfax  for  President 
and  Vice  President  of  the  United  States.  To 
ratify  their  nomination  with  the  resolutions 
upon  which  they  stand,  promulgated  by  the 
Convention  that  presented  their  names  to  the 
people.  To  ratify  their  nomination  as  a 
testimony  in  some  small  degree  of  our  grati- 
tude to  them  tor  their  distinguished  services 
in  the  field  and  in  the  Legislature,  in  the 
great  struggle  with  rebellion.  We  are  here 
to  ratify  their  nomination  upon  their  well 
known  public  live?  and  history,  because  the 
names  of  Grant  and  Colfux  are  familiar  as 
household  words.  One.  the  General  of  all  the 
armies  of  the  Union  :  the  other,  the  Speaker 
of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  for  many 
yeara  of  his  life,  though  still  a  youkg  man. 
holding  a  seat  in  the  national  Legislature. 

I  need  not  speak  of  General  Grant  to  you. 
my  fellow  citizens.  The  events  in  which  he 
has  been  a  conspicuous  actor,  and  known 
throughout  the  world,  are  surely  known  to  all 
of  you,  placing  him  beyond  the  reach  of 
feeble  calumny.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  coming 
up  from  the  ranks  of  the  people  his  whole 
life  has  been  one  of  honesty,  fidelity  to  duty, 
and  patriotism  to  our  common  country,  sig- 
nalized in  the  two  wars — the  war  with  Mexico 
and  the  great  war  just  terminated.  In  the 
providence  of  God  it  fell  to  his  lot  to  play 
the  foremost  part  in  the  suppression  of  the 
rebellion— excelling  where  all  did  well,  lead- 
ing the  heroes  to  whom  our  gratitude  is  for- 
ever due. 

We  ratify  their  nominations  because  of  the 
future  services  we  expect  at  the  hands  of  these 
nominees.  We  ratify  their  nomination  be- 
cause of  the  confidence  we  have  in  their 
their  ability,  and  their  ooorage. 


"We  ratify  their  nomination,  because  hitherto 
they  have  always  been  successful,  and  the 
world  demands  success  of  ite  leaders.  Merit, 
however  great,  is  always  topped  by  success. 

A      QCESTIOX     Of    VITAL     IMPORTANCE      TO    KXN 

TUCKIAXS. 

The  deeply  interesting  question  for  us  to 
answer  is,  how  Union  men  of  Kentucky  are 
going  to  act  in  this  contest  ?     With  reference 
I  perhaps,  to   a   larger  portion   of  the   Unioi 
body  at  least,    there   can   be  no    question 
They  have  always  been  in  the  front  of  ths- 
right  wing   of  the  Union   party  throughon: 
!  this  whole  contest.    But  it  is  an  interesting 
!  question  with  regard  to  another  very  respec 
'  table  and  influential  body  of  Union  men  o: 
this  State  to  know  what  part  they  are  goin$ 
to  take  in  this  contest ;  where  they  will  pitch 
their  tent ;  where  they  will  choose  th^ir  com 
pany  for  the  future,  because  things  have  pro 
ceeded  in  our  State  politics  to  the  point  wberf 
,  we  must  decide  between  what  they  call  th> 
,  Democratic  party  and    the  -National   Union 
!  Republican  party.   .There  are  many -person-. 
j  of  Union  sentiments  who  think  it  the  duty  o; 
'  the  Union  people  of  the  State  to  give  thei 
support  to  the  Democratic  party,  as  they  cal' 
it  here  in  this  Commonwealth  of  ours. 

The  very  first  task  I  propose  to  myself  is  to 
examine  reasons  why  auy  of  us  should  do  so  ; 
and  I  propose  to  do  "this  in  a  spirit  of  candor 
and  frankness,  but  with  respect  toward  tbf 
gentlemen  who  differ  with  me.  and  I  trust, 
with  respect  to  that  party  itself. 

The  Democratic  party  of  the  United  St;tt<>- 
governed  this  country  for  thirty  years,  almost 
without  interruption.    You  are  my  wit i, 
that  they  misgoverned  it.     You  a're  mv  wit- 
nesses that  they  sowed  broadcast   the 
of  the  bloody  harvest  we  reaped  in  the  war 
just  closed.     You  are  my  witnesses  that  this 
party,  honored  so  beyond  measure  by  a  gene- 
rous and  confiding  people,  at  last  "betrayed 
their  tru.<  and  bnjke  this  people  in  ; 
by  cruel  and  bloody  war.     For  many    . 
prior  to  1*CO.  the  controlling  element  oi  the 
Kid   been  molding   public  sentiment, 
and  shaping  the  policy  of  the  Government, 
with  a  view  to  secession  and  rebellion,  ending 
so  fatally  to  the  people. 


When  at  last. a  majority  of  the  people  of  the;  next  Congressional  elections  were  disastrous 
United  States  had  got  tired  of  being  thus  ruled,  \  The  Presidential  election  caine  on. 
and  elected  to  power  a  party  opposed  to  the  I  They  met  in  National  Convention  and  nomi- 
spread  and  rule  of  slavery,  this  same  impe-  j  nated  for  President  a  worthy  man,  a  soldier 
rious  power  revolted  against  the  only  friend  j  of  the  Union,  once  of  great  popularity,  a 
the  institution  had  in  the  world— the  Constitu-  \  gentleman  always  honorable  in  my  eyes— I 

&    ii_  _     TT_;j.-,-i     OA«.i..«         /~< iTTinsv     -nr\     *Vi/*     in^on     Clt*f\rrT£*     T{      TVfnP,lf»llnn        TTp     waft     P.fttYl- 


tion  of  the  United  States.  Giving  up  the 
support  of  this  Constitution,  with  the  Supreme 
Court  and  a  majority  of  the  Congress  to  back 
it.  the  rulers  and  upholders  of  the  Democratic 


mean  George  B.  McClellan.  He  was  com- 
pelled to  repudiate  the  party  platform,  and 
declare  that  the  war  for  the  Union  must  never 
be  abandoned.  But  we  were  defeated.  Not- 


It,    LUC    I  UlCi  *3   ttUvl    U  LFiivJiu.ot  o  \/i    nuv    ^wu*w*»*v*w      v**    •  

party  for  a  generation  revolted,  drew  the  ;  withstanding  such  evident  disgust  by  that  party 
sword  of  civil  war  against  the  Union,  the  ideas  for  the  principles  we  cherished,  still,  with 
and  tendencies  of  the  age.  and  the  Father  of  other  portions  of  the  Union  people  of  the 
men.  For  nearly  thirty  years  the  Democratic  !  South,  the  Union  Democracy  of  Kentucky 
party  had  governed  us  here  in  the  South  with  !  gave  its  support  to  the  Democratic  party 
a  rod  of  iron,  in  the  sole  interest  of  slavery,  j  North  throughout  the  war. 
with  a  view  to  secession.  This  party  organ- 1 

ized  a  Presidential  campaign  in  the  interests  ;  KENTUCKY  BEBELS  AND  THEIR  NORTHERN  ALLIES. 
of  secession  and  rebellion,  with  Breckinridge  [  The  war  terminated  at  last,  owing  to  the 
as  leader,  that  Douglas  might  be  defeated  or  |  va]or  Of  our  soldiers  and  the  genius  of  our 
Mr.  Lincoln  more  surely  elected,  having  long  j  commanders— in  spite  of  all  opposition,  covert 
before  declared  that  if  he  was  elected,  they  j  and  Open_in  favor  of  the  Union.  Now  mark 
would  revolt  and  dissolve  our  Union.  They !  wjjat  followed,  you  ttiat  have  any  hope  of 
destroyed  their  party  to  precipitate  the  de-  comfort  or  honor  in  the  Democratic  party. 


struction  of  their  country.  They  went  into 
the  rebellion  upon  the  fact  ot  Mr.  Lincoln's 
election,  and  the  Democrats  of  the  North, 
spurned  and  abandoned  by  their  rebel  allies, 
lost  all  power  and  influence  in  the  country. 

THE  WAR  AGAINST  THE  UNION. 

War  broke  out,  and  all  right  minded  people, 
under  the  lead  of  Lincoln  and  Douglas,  Crit- 
tendtn  and  Guthrie,  rose  up  to  meet  this 
daring  attack  upon  the  Union  and  the  tree- 


comfort  or  honor  in  the  Democratic  party. 
In  Kentucky,  men  left  (he  State  and  swore 
allegiance  to  a  foreign,  rebel  power,  but  left 
their  wives,  sisters,  daughters  and  property 
behind  in  our  midst,  under  and  to  our  protec- 
tion ;  and  these  men  continually  invited  and 
brought  war  around  our  firesides  and  in  the 
midst  of  their  own  families,  plundered  our 
fields  and  stables,  massacred  our  inhabitants 
and  burned  our  towns  :  at  last,  conquered  in 
battle,  they  returned  to  the  homes  they  had 
abandoned.  The  Union  party  in  power  in 


llliril  liT       iitUVUlV       IIU  Vll        Lilt-        *-*  UAUU       UtlAlt     ui*\J    it  v-*_-  **vm»-»  ^ 

dom  arid  progress  which  it  represented.  The  j  the  State  of  Kentucky,  in  a  generous  spirit, 
people  everywhere  rallied  to  the  country's !  desirous  of  healing  all  the  wounds  of  the 
cause  and  when  75,000  men  were  called  for,  1  body  politic,  and  restoring  a  solid  peace  to 
above  300,000  came  to  the  rescue.  Now  at !  our  afflicted  Commonwealth,  forgave  them  all 
this  time  the  Democratic  party  seemed  to  j  the  penalties  of  the  law.  and  restored  to  them 
have  been  'blotted  from  the  political  map.  |  the  franchise. 
It  had  no  existence  till  the  anti-slavery  policy  j  They  were  scarcely  warm  in  their  seats 


of  the   Government  was   developed  by  the 
events  of  the  war. 

The  Democratic  party  seized  this  opportu- 


before  that  same  Legislature  was  urged  by 
ambitious  aspirants  among  them,  to  call  a 
State  Convention.  By  a  voice  almost  unani- 


1  11"       L/vLll'JvI  I.IH.V-1     UCVL  I' V        D^*«V»*     VJJAU      v^/^w»  u»  —  »/  ,  . 

nity  to  organize,  and  many  of  us  in  Kentucky,   mous_  it  refused  to   do  so,  pronouncing  in- 

- -    - 


alarmed  for  the  result,  gave  it  our  sympathy, 
regarding  the  Democrats  of  the  North  then  in 
arms  against  their  late  leaders  of  the  South, 


and  thus  friends  to  the  Union  and  the  war 
against  rebellion,  as  friends  also  to  the  Consti- 
tution. We  came  to  their  aid  speedily  in  the 


stinctively  against,  its  policy,  for  a  reason  they 
did  not  fully  recognize  at  the  time,  but  which 
must  now  be  apparent,  viz  :  In  such  a  Con- 


vention, the  sympathies  of  rebellion  and  those 
of  Unionism  would  never  harmoniously  inter- 

Huiuii.     »^  ^^  »"  »««»  —  -t- j iflow  and  fuse  togetbcr-     If  called  there  must 

border  States,  and  in  the  election  in  1862  they  '  be  a  disintegration  of  the  heterogeneous  ele- 
elected  members  from  nearly  all  the  districts  !  ments  that  composed  it.  So  the  Convention 
in  some  of  the  States,  and  came  within  a  few '  was  refused.  Then  these  enfranchised  rebels 
votes  of  havin°-  the  House  of  Representatives. !  and  their  sympathizers  who  staid  at  home  and 
At  once  the  old  leaders,  with  the  old  sympa-  j  lent  their  aid  as  they  safely  could,  to  divide 
thies  championed  the  party,  and  began  to  de- '  the  Union,  called  a  State  Convention,  not  of 
dare  their  opposition  to  "the  war.  in  many .  the  Union  Democratic  party  that  had  voted 
ways  throwing  their  influence  into  the  scale  for  McCltllan,  but  called  a  Democratic  Con- 
ou  the  side  of  the  enemy.  Instead  of  support-  j  vention  proper  of  the  men  who  were  fresh 
in  the  Government  in  the  prosecution  of  the  from  the  rebellion,  who  had  voted  for  Jefler- 
wai  they  pursued  a  policy  evidently  designed  son  Davis,  editors,  ex-Congressmen  and  offi- 
to  si  p  and  abandon  it ;  of  course  there  ware  cers  of  the  late  rebel  army,  who  had  been  for 
manv  exceptions,  but  I  speak  of  what  I  be- '  five  years  denouncing  the  Democratic  party, 
lwv«  to  be  the  real  power  of  the  party.  The  I  while  the  Union  men  of  Kentucky  gave  it 


their  support,  calling  it  rery  vile  names  in- 
deed ;  who  had  been  denouncing  the  Union ; 
;md  lighting  it  with  firs  and  sword,  and  had 
declared   if  we  would  give  them  a  sheet  of  j 
blank  paper  on  which  to  write  their  own  terms. 
they  would   not  live  with   ns  again.    These' 
people  called  a  State  Convention  and  mjj.de  a  . 
nomination  for  clerk  of  the  Oburt  ot  Appeals.  < 
and   county  officers    of  pure    unadulterated 
Democrats  and  opponents  of  the  war. 

Now  was  the  time  to  test  the  fidelity  of  our  | 
late   Democratic   allies    North  ;    to   test   the  j 
sincerity  of  their   sympathy  with  the  Union  | 
men  of  the  South,  and  the  cause  which  they 
loved.    We  were  entitled  to  their  sympathy 
and  support  in  this  contest  with  those  who 
came  fresh  and  red  from  the  criminal  rebellion,  j 
Here  was  the  crucial  test  which  was  to  prove  j 
whether  the  Democracy  of  the  North  was  a  | 
Union  party  and  would  support  the  Union 
Democratic  party  or  the  Rebel  Democratic 
partv  of  Kentucky. 

You  know  the  result  We  were  deserted. 
The  Democrats  of  the  North  would  not  go  i 
forward,  and  taught  by  the  war  to  something  | 
better  than  the  resolutions  of  '!)S  and  slavery, 
they  gave  up  the  Union  arid  the  future  ;  they 
embraced  the  past,  and  returned  like  a  dog 
to  his  vomit.  They  entered  the  contest  on  the 
side  of  those  wh<  "had  been  most  conspicuous 
in  the  ranks  of  the  enimies  to  the*  Union,  and 
threw  overboard,  without  remorse  of  con- 
science, those  Union  men  who  had  stood  by 
them  in  the  hour  of  their  difficulties. 

The  act  signalized  at  once  the  inevitable 
sympathies  of  the  Democratic  party,  Nonh 
as  well  as  South.  The  controlling  power  in 
that  party  through  the  war  was  opposed  to  it. 
While  many  of  them.  I  gratefully  remember, 
proved  their  devotion  to  the  country  in  the 
legislative  forum  and  by  going  into  the  field  ; 
hut  the  real,  vital,  energetic  force  in  the 
party  gave  its  sympathy  to  the  war  against 
the  Union,  denied  the  right  of  the  Govern- 
ment to  put  down  the  rebellion,  acknowledged 
the  riglit  of  a  State  to  secede,  many  de- 
nouncing the  war  as  unholy ;  the  editor  of 
their  most  popular  newspaper,  exceeding  the 
license  of  the  press  and  the  bounds  of  decency, 
even  justified  the  assassination  of  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  the  kindest  enemy 
that  ever  struck  a  foe  and  wept. 

In  this  first  opportunity  to  show  whether 
for  the  future  they  would  build  their  party 
upon  a  Union  basis,  or  whether  they  would 
look  to  rebel  sympathizers  in  the  South  for 
support,  they  repudiated  true  Union  men, 
and  took  up  with  their  adversaries. 
.  It  is  a  question,  gentlemen,  how  far  we 
who  stood  for  the  Union,  will  ever  find  for 
ourselves  forgiveness  and  acceptance  in  a 
party  controlled  by  our  adversaries.  But 
such  considerations  as  these  are  of  minor 
importance.  If  by  giving  our  support  to  the 
Democratic  party  we  could  accomplish  great 
public  ends  important  to  the  welfare  of  the 


people ;  to  do  this  we  should  be  ready  to 
sacrifice  all  personal  considerations.  The 
service  demanded  of  us  by  this  Democratic 
party  of  Kentucky,  is  indeed  onerous  and 
bitter.  We  must  silence  our  sympathies  for 
the  Union  cause  and  the  men  who  sustained 
it.  We  must  forget  that  those  who  died  in 
the  great  battles,  died  honorably,  in  a  good 
cause,  and  against  a  bad  one.  As  to  the 
living,  we  must  forget  their  services  in  the 
war  and  what  is  due  to  them,  preferring  those 
who  fought  for  the  rebellion.  We  must  forget 
their  generous  zeal,  and  the  great  provo- 
cations that  prompted  them  to  any  excess 
they  may  have  committed,  and  while  we  ex- 
aggerate the  one,  we  must  overlook  the  other. 
We  must  not  recall  rebel  atrocities,  assas- 
sinations of  unarmed  citizens,  the  slaughter 
and  starvation  of  prisoners,  the  burning  of 
houses,  towns,  Court  Houses,  fair  grounds. 
&c.,  but  pass  that  over,  All  this  we  must 
be  required  to  do  and  must  do  wfien  we  join 
that  party.  We  must  fetch  and  carry  for  it, 
thankful  for  a  smile  or 'a  crumb,  and  be 
ready  above-all  to  lic_krth»  f«*t±haLklck  us. 


IDKAS   HELD  BY   DEMOCRATS! 

I  will  speak,  then,  with  your  indulgence, 
upon  the  'ideas  upon  which  the  Democratic 
party  intend  to  administer  the  affairs  of 
40.000.000  of  people,  now  soon  to  be  100,- 
000,000. 

What  are  their  ideas  of  ttte  rights  of  men ! 
Upon  what  principles  would  they  build  the 
Yiture?  The  idea  of  the  Democratic  party 
!s  that  one  man  should  have  the  right  to 
buy  and  sell  another,  that  they  should  have 
the  right  to  buy  and  sell  women  and  chil- 
dren, to  sell  the  husband  away  from  the 
wife,  the  child  from  its  mother.  These  are 
their  ideas,  and  they  are  persecuted  men  if 
you  deny  them  the  exercise  of  these  rights. 
Their  idea  is  that  the  late  enemies  of  the 
United  States  in  the  rebel  States  are  entitled 
to  exclusive  political  power  and  privileges 
therein  by  laws  made  to  secure  the  same, 
and  that  you  have  established  a  despotism  if 
you  require  them  to  be  shared  equally  with 
loyal  men. 

With  regard  to  emancipation  and  recon- 
struction, the  party  has  no  equivocal  record. 
It  is  opposed  to  these  measures,  thinks  them 
wrong.  Now,  if  the  people  give  the  party 
power,  what  will  they  do  tor  us  to  correct 
these  wrongs?  Will  they  repeal  reconstruc- 
tion, turn  out  the  States,  and  give  the  power 
to  the  rebels  therein  exclusively  ?  And  as  to 
emancipation,  will  they  pay  us  for  our  slaves, 
or,  as  some  boast,  re-enslave  the  blacks? 
If  their  opposition  to  these  facts ;is  to  be  made 
effectual  and  means  anything,  it  means  this : 
If  they  cannot  undertake  these  tasks  we 
should  not  look  to  that  party  to  save  us  from 
negro  suffrage,  or  to  make  us  compensation 
for  our  losses.  The  question  is  already  deci- 
d«d  without  me  ;.  you  may  say  in  spite  of  me. 


If  we  must  join  the  Democratic  party  to 
get  relief  from  negro  suffrage,  it  must  be  be- 
cause we  expect  them  in  some  way  to  undo 
what  has  been  done.  Some  of  us  have  large 
expectations  from  the  Democratic  party  in 
the  work  of  reaction.  We  expect,  I  believe, 
the  public  debt  to  be  repudiated.  Our 
slaves,  too.  are  not  hopelessly  lost.  With  regard 
to  that  species  of  personal  property,  we  may 
perhaps  have  to  realize  the  expectations  of 


Legislators  and  Congressmen,  in  ten  States  oi 
the  Union.  He  has  done  it  in  Tennessee  for 
more  than  two  years.  He  will  do  it,  though 
every  man  and  woman  in  Kentucky  rise  up 
and  swear  he  shall  not  do  it. 

Now.  when  they  get  into  power,  will  they 
turn  these  ten  States  out  of  the  Union? 
Will' they  get  up  a  counter  revolution,  and 
turn  these  Governors  out,  the  Legislatures 
out.  and  expel  from  Congress  their  Senators 


a  very  distinguished  gentleman  not  very  far  \  and  members?  Will  they  then  pass  recon- 
from  Flemingsburg  who,  while  they  were !  struction  bills  with  suffrage  upon  a  white 
rejoicing  over  the  last  fall  election  in  Ohio,  j  basis,  making  this  a  white  man's  Government 
instructed  his  friends  just  to  keep  still,  that  instead  of  a  Government  of  the  Lord  God 
they  would  get  their  niggers  back  yet 
"  In  examining  what  Union  men  are  to  ex- 


of   Heaven    for    all    men  ?      Will    they    do 


it?       I    put  it 


Democrats    not   only 
put   it   to    Democrats 


pect  at  the  hands  of  the  Democracy,  I  speak  |  Kentucky,    but    I 

not  of  the  finances,  though  that  is  a  deeply  |  the  North.  These  people  who  call  themselves 
interesting  subject ;  but  yo,i  and  I  know  that  j  Democrats  in  Kentucky  are  ready  for  any- 
here  and  now  we  are  principally  concerned  [ thing.  If  an  opportunity  presented  itself, 
in  knowing  what  are  the  ideas  that  are  to  j  they  would  fight  again  for  the  Confederacy 
govern  this  present  i.-ad  that  great  future  (  and  for  slavery.  But  I  put  it  to  the  Demo- 
that  looms  up  before  us.  What  shall  the  Crats  of  the  whole  country.  If  my  freble 
generations  of  the  future  have  to  thank  or  voice  could  reach  them  I  would  appeal  to 
to  curse  us  for?  What  are  the  principles  I  them  (some  of  them  I  know  are  patriotic 
that  are  in  the  future  to  interpret  the  rights :  and  worthy  men).  Will  you  break  up  this 
of  the  citizens  of 'the  United  States?  What;  Union  thus  built  up,  because  you  do  not 
shall  become  of  the  declaration  of  our  fathers ;  like  the  manner  in  which  it  has  been  built 
promulgated  in  1776,  that  "All  men  are|up?  Will  you  break  it  up.  not  to  enlarge  the 
born  free  and  equal,  endowed  by  their  Crea-  j  rights  of  mankind,  not  to  establish  the  doctrine 
tor  with  certain  inalienable  rights  "—rights  |  made  possible  by  the  war,  that  one.  class  of  men 
which  they  have  no  right  to  part  with— the  j  have  no  right  to  rule  another  class  of  men,  not  to 
basis  upon  which  this  Government  is  to  be  j  declare  that  att  men  are  created  free  and  equal, 
restored  and  maintained,  is  the  deeply  in-  j  buttogo  back  over  the  dreary  waste  of  the  civil  war. 
teresting  subject  here  in  Kentucky.  j  to  the  worn  out  shcims  of  the  past  ?  Sow,  a 

party  engaged  in  this  business  of  pulling  down 
Constitutions  and  expelling  States  would  be  la- 
boring not  to  extend  suffrage,  but  to  restrict  it; 
not  to  strengthen  the  bonds  of  the  Union,  but  to 
put  the  political  power  of  these  States  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemies  of  the  Union.  You  would 
not  do  it  to  afford  the  soldiers  who  fought  the 
battles  of  the  Union  the  means  of  protection, 
or  to  give  them  power  to  hold  in  check  those 


Wlli,  THE  DEMOCRATIC  PARTY  STAY  THE  ONWARD 
MARCH   OF  TRUTH   AND   JUSTICE? 

Now,  if  we  give  the  Democratic  party 
power  in  this  country  for  the  next  four  years, 
what  do  they  propose  to  do  in  that  event 
with  regard  to  the  rebel  States  restored  to 
the  Government?  If  they  elect  their  can- 
didate he  will  be  installed  into  power  in  1869. 
I  ask  what  would  be  the  state  of  things  which 
would  confront  them  when  they  should  thus 
attain  power.  This  Union  will  be  restored, 
built  up,  upon  principles  of  right  or  wrong, 
as  you  may  believe,  but  built  solidly,  com- 
pactly, every  State  with  a  constitution,  a 
government,  Legislature,  judicial  and  exe- 
cutive officers  ;  with  Senators  and  Repre- 
sentatives in  Congress,  admitted  by  the  party 
governing  the  nation,  and  recognized  and  in 
rail  operation.  With  this  restoration  of  the 
Union,  for  which  the  people  have  organized 
so  long,  completely  accomplished ;  restored, 
if  you  please,  upon  equal  rights  to  all  and 


exclusive  privilege  to  none 
the  face,  what  will  they  do  ? 


taring  them  in 


.That  state  of  things  will  meet  them  in 
1869.  It  has  been  done  ;  freedom  to  the 
black  man,  and  the  ballot  to  guard  it,  has 
already  been  given  to  him  in  the  rebel  States. 
He  already  votes ;  he  already  makes  Consti- 
tutions ;  he  already  helps  make  Governors, 


who  fought  against  it  ?  Now,  if  these  are  the 
issues  upon  which  this  campaign  is  to  be 
fought,  let  them  write  it  in  the  platform,  make 
their  nominations  upon  it,  and  put  it  fairly 
before  the  people. 

I  have  proclaimed,  and  yet  proclaim,  that 
when  this  Union  is  restored  I  shall  accept  the 
work  whether  I  like  it  or  not ;  but  surely  I 
shall  never  be  so  untrue  to  the  American  idea 
as  to  make  war  upon  a  restored  Union  because 
ii  is  too  liberal  and  democratic.  Rather,  with 
ample  faith  in  the  American  people,  and 
genuine  love  toward  them,  go  to  work  and 
build  upon  whatever  ground  is  given  us  to 
build  upon.  I  will  never  embark  with  any 
party  in  a  revolution  to  break  up  the  restored 
Union. 

Therefore,  my  friends  and  fellow-citizens, 
when  General  Grant  in  his  letter  of  accept- 
ance— although  modest,  noble,  and  worthy  of 
him — says  '•  let  us  have  peace,"  this  sentence 
is  full  of  pregnant  meaning  ;  it  means  that  the 


acceptance  and  protection  of  a  restored  Union 
founded  on  that  broad  basis  of  equal  rights  to 
all  and  exclusive  privileges  to  none,  is  the 
only  means  and  hope  of  peace. 

Why,  then,  should  I  and  the  Union  men  of 


now  ;  I  see  them  as  once  I  saw  them  instinct 
with  life,  walking  with  fronts  erect  in  our 
midst — but,  no,  I  shall  never  again  see  them. 
They  have  fallen  with  their  faces  to  Heaven 
and  their  feet  to  the  foe,  in  the  great  battle  for 


Kentucky  embark  our  fortunes  with  the  Dem- 1  Liberty  and  Union,  one  and  inseparable,  now 
ocratic  party  of  Kentucky,  or  their  allies  |  and  forever.  I  cannot  therefore  see  any  duty 
elsewhere,  who  would  restrict  the  basis  of  which  calls  me  to  the  Democratic  ranks — all 
suffrage  in  the  ten  States,  and  give  exclusive  that  is  within  me  persuades  me  otherwise, 
political  power  to  gentlemen  in  the  South  who,  |  I  have  broken  long  since  with  the  party 
for  thirty  years,  ruled  the  country  only  to  be-  which  does  not  acknowledge  Union  sympa- 
tray  and  rain  it  ?  Do  I  wish  the  restoration  thie's.  I  quit  it  for  the  National  Union  Repub- 
of  that  party  in  the  South  which  built  up  a  lican  party,  and  shall  vote  for  my  schoolmate, 
despotic  public  sentiment ;  that  repressed  all  j  the  soldier  of  the  Union.  General  Grant,  and 
freedom  of  thought  and  speech  and  every  ,  for  Schuyler  Colfax,  whom  I  never  did  vote 
generous  emotion  common  to  the  heart  of  |  for  when  I  had  the  opportunity;  1  quit  it  to 
mankind,  and  kept  our  society  crystalized  in  >  stand  upon  the  Declaration  of  Independence  ; 
forms  that  belonged  to  the  far  past :  that  made  !  I  quit  it  to  help  give  to  every  man  in  the 
the  interests  of  the  white  masses  subordinate  j  country  the  same  privileges  under  the  law 
to  the  institution  of  slavery  ;  a  party  that  per-  j  claimed  for  myself. 

secuted  every  liberal  statesman.  North  and  I  was  opposed  in  part  to  the  great  work, 
South — men  like  Henry  Clay,  for  instance —  and  it  was  done  without  my  consent  and 
because  they  were  not  willing  to  repress  their  ;  against  my  consent  At  last  I  opened  my  eyes 
love  of  freedom.  to  the  magnitude  of  the  work  and  the  facts  be- 

Do  we  want  that  Democratic  leadership  fore  me.  Will  you  condescend  to  do  that,  my 
back  here  again,  to  go  through  the  scenes  we  friends?  Will  you  lay  aside  passion  and  pre- 
have  gone  through?  Ah!  forsake  such  ajjudice  and  reason  one  with  another  ?  Will 
thought.  The  Southern  leaders  and  their  i  yon  look  at  all  that  has  happened  in  this 
ideas  belonged  to  the  past.  We  cannot  call  |  country?  Do  you  suppose  God  Almighty 
them  back.  Shall  we  fight  against  Jehovah, '  meant  nothing  by  such  a  conflict  as  we  have 
the  Lord  of  Hosts,  whose  words  are  down  on !  passed  through  ?  All  that  great  fermentation 


us.  saying,  "  I  will  rule.    If  you  will  help  me, 

'     Shall  I 
made   up 


well  and  good  ;  if  not,  without  you." 
do  it  ?    No  ;  I  have  had   my  mind   n 


of  ideas  that  resulted  in  war  and  baptized  our 
land  in  blood — did  it  mean  nothing  ?  Has  it 
done  nothing?  Are  we  where  we  started? 


distinctly  for  two  years  that  I  would  not  do  it,    We  are  to-day  a  thousand  years  away  from  the 
that  I  was  wrong  in  trying  to  persuade  myself  age  that  preceded  the  war.    The  child  scarce 


it  was  my  duty  to  do  ito.  I  know  no  useful 
function  the  Democratic  party  can  perform, 
except  to  disband — or  advance. 

EXPERIENCE   IX   THE   DEMOCRATIC    PARTY. 

I  have  had  a  little  experience  (you  all  have 
had.)  and  it  opened  my  eyes.  The  organiza- 
tion is  against  us.  Union  men.  We  are  not  of 
it  Try  it,  you  will  know  it  at  last.  It  will 
use  you,  humiliate  you  and  throw  you  aside. 
It  has  persecuted  our  brethren  everywhere 
throughout  the  State ;  turned  them  out  of 
office  ;  put  Confederates  over  them,  and  only 
because  they  were  Confederates.  They  re- 
jected and  overslaughed  Union  men  in  the 
Democratic  party  of  Kentucky  ;  were  Conser- 
vatives— Conservative  enough,  Heaven  knows. 
The  only  stain  upon  their  record  was,  they 
had  been  for  the  war  against  rebellion  ;  this, 
their  chief  honor,  marred  all  their  fortunes. 

Day  by  day  we  have  seen  Unionism  under 
the  persecutions  of  this  party  decline,  till  now 
it  is  much  reproach  to  have  stood  for  our 
Government.  We  could  bear  it  for  ourselves  ; 
0  Union  men.  but  we  have  friends  fallen  in 
the  great  battle,  and  for  their  sakes.  since  they 
were  dear  to  us,  we  would  have  their  cause 
forever  honorable.  I  had  some,  laid  low  by 
criminal  brothers'  hands,  that  I  must  lament 
even  with  my  heart.  They  rise  up  before  me 


able  yet  to  syllable  its  mother  tongue  was 
born  under  the  old  order  of  things,  and  which 
he  will  never  see  again. 

THE    CONSTITUTIONAL   AMENDMENT. 

But  I  come  now  to  an  affair  that  concerns 
us  as  citizens  of  Kentucky  chiefly.  We  have 
proceeded  from  the  thirteenth  Constitutional 
amendment  abolishing  slavery,  to  the  four- 
teenth amendment.  It  is  now  a  fixed  and 
certain  thing  that  there  is  no  escape  from  the 
fourteenth  Constitutional  amendment.  If  it 
has  not  already  been  adopted  by  States  enough 
to  make  it  a  part  of  our  Constitution,  it  will 
be  in  a  few  weeks,  perhaps  in  a  few  days. 
The  Senate  is  just  now  about  to  pass  what  is 
called  the  Omnibus  Bill,  which  admits  six 
Southern  States  to  representation  in  the  Union, 
which,  with  Arkansas  and  Tennessee,  making 
eight. — These  States  are  required  by  the  law 
recognizing  them  to  ratify  the  fourteenth 
amendment ;  and  it  therefore  will  be  the  law 
of  the  land  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  weeks. 

This  great  measure  equalizes  the  power  of 
the  voter  in  all  the  States,  declares  sacred  the 
obligations  of  the  nation  created  in  its  defense ; 
prohibits  the  payment  of  the  rebel  debt  and 
compensation  for  emancipated  slaves,  and 
establishes  the  equality  of  citizenship  by  b;rth 
and  naturalization.  Let  us  examine  into  its 


effect  upon  the  representation  of  the  States. 
The  number  of  blacks  in  the  Southern  States 
in  1860  was  about  4.000,000.  Let  us  say  that 
the  war  has  kept  that  population  stationary. 
We  will  start  with  a  basis  in  1870  of  4,800,000 
blacks.  This  will  not  be  at  their  former  rate 
of  increase,  as  the  blacks  do  not  thrive  as  fast 
in  freedom  as  in  slavery.  By  a  comparison  of 
statistics,  we  find  that  their  increase  in  the 
future  can  not  be  put  at  more  than  fifteen  per 
ceat.  in  ten  years,  instead  of  twenty-three  per 
cent.,  the  rate  of  increase  in  ten  years  previ- 
ous to  the  war.  So  in  1900  we  would  have 
about  6.500,000  blacks  in  the  South,  all  repre- 
sented save  in  Kentucky.  We  had  in  Ken- 
tucky, in  1860.  236.000.  which  will  give  us  in 
1900  about  364.000.  The  ratio  of  the  number 
of  blacks  in  Kentucky,  in  my  opinion,  increas- 
es instead  of  diminishes,  as  they  come  in  from 


side  peoples,  and  make  them  friends  of  the 
State  for  peace  and  for  war  ? 

I  get  no  answer.  Southern  statesmanship 
is  afraid  and  silent.  There  is  but  one  answer ; 
give  the  bkick  man  every  reason  for  loving  ih* 
Commonwealth,  the  mother  of  us  aU,  that  any 
other  citizen  has,  and  he  will  vote  her  ticket  and 
fight  her  battles. 

But  now  ?  Why,  little  South  Carolina  has 
three-fifths  of  her  people  for  a  foe  that  looks 
beyond  her  brother  for  friends,  hope  and  pro- 
tection. She's  but  a  bogus  Commonwealth 
while  this  lasts,  paralyzed  in  peace  and  war. 
Why,  the  rebels  were  fools  to  get  up  a  rebel- 
lion before  they  had  made  friends  with  nearly 
half  their  people.  If  they  ever  wish  to  rebel 
hereafter,  they  must  first  'get  the  black  man 
on  their  side.  In  their  brave  but  utterly 
stupid  struggle  for  independence  they  had 
over  four  millions  of  enemies  in  their  midst. 


They  saw  their  assailants  using   this  element, 


other  States. 

Let  us.  gentlemen,  be  a  little  candid.    Is  not  \  *.i*^j  ^...  >...~..  ..~.,~ ,.,    — 

universal  suffrage  already  here  ?    Is  there  any  I  and  still  had  not  the  wit  or 'courage  to  eman- 
power  on  the  face  of  the  globe  that  can  roll  it  I  cipate  and  arm  them.    It  is  Said  some  of  their 


back  ?  Does  not  the  tide  set  that  way  all  over 
the  world  ?  The  African  in  ten  States  holds 
the  ballot ;  it  w.ould  be  just  as  easy  to  enslave 
him  again  as  to  take  the  ballot  away  from 
him.  What  party  will  undertake  the  work? 

Why  abuse  me  ?  These  are  the  facts— I  did 
not  make  them  :  I  cannot  claim  any  part  of 
the  credit  the  world  awards  the  doers.  Mine 
only  be  the  modest  merit  that  recognizes  the 
work  when  done,  and  comprehends,  in  part, 
its  magnitude  and  the  high  meaning  it  sym- 
bolizes. 

A  RESOLCTIOS  IX  FAVOR  OF  THE  POOR. 

I  take  it  for  granted,  therefore,  my  fellow- 
citizens,  that  whatever  party  comes  into  power 
in  1869.  the  basis  of  representation  of  these 
States  has  been  permanently  changed.  The 
importance  of 'being  fully  represented  accord- 
ing to  the  weight  of  our  population  in  that 
Congress  which  declares  war,  makes  peace, 
levies  enormous  taxes  and  disposes  of  the 
great  business  of  the  nation,  will  address  itself 
with  force  to  the  minds  and  consciences  of 
reflecting  prudent  men  everywhere  in  the 


captains  saw  the  necessity  and  called  for  the 
measure.  But  the  petty  politicians  of  Rich- 
mond, dwarfed  in  the  presence  of  events  too 
great  for  them,  could  not  see  it,  and  so  went 
down  under  the  blows  of  Grant,  clinging  to 
the  rags  of  slavery.  The  lesson  was  not  new. 
States  that  do  not  rest  on  a  united  people 
must  fall.  The  ten  States  already  have  peace 
on  the  negro  question.  He  is  a  voter,  in 
numbers  sufficient  to  command  respect.  Tbo 
political  parties,  under  a  necessity  to  win  the 
voters  favor,  quit  calling  each  other  Aboli- 
tionists, and  only  strive  to  convince  the  black 
man  of  the  interest  they  always  took  in  his 
welfare.  Negroes  make  good  Democratic  del- 
egates in  Tennessee,  and  the  party  (though 
beaten)  was  very  proud  of  a  few  thousand 
black  votes  obtained  in  the  recent  Georgia 
elections.  Great  is  the  black  man  in  the  eyes 
of  the  Democrats  in  Georgia  and  Tennessee, 
when  found  in  the  ranks  of  his  party. 

REGENERATED     REBELS. 

And.  my  friends,  the  rebels  will  never  be 
converted  until  the  day  Khali  come  when 
they  shall  have  to  ask  the  black  man  to  help 


State.  Whoever  can  show  a  hope  for  a  differ- 1  them  to  get  into  office.  When  that 
ent  state  of  things  for  the  future,  (if  he  dare 
call  it  a  hope,)  w'ould  have  hoped  on  at  the 
Deluge  after  all  the  world  was  in  the  sea. 
Let  us  take  comfort :  the  revolution  that  has 
occurred  means  peace  and  progress,  because 
it  means  Liberty  and  Justice.  It  is  not  a  re- 
volution in  favor  of  the  patrician  or  privilege 
of  the  strong  and  powerful,  the  rich  and  titled, 
but  in  favor  of  the  poor,  the  humble  and  the 
ignorant ;  the  veriest  poor  and  ignorant  of 
our  people — God's  poor. 

I  have  long  sought  of  the  best  mo;-   and 
minds  I  know  in  our  State,   an  answer  10  the 


u time 

comes  the°rebellion  will  be  over,  because,  it 
will  be  unpopular,  and  men  aspiring  for  office 
will  keep  in  the  back-ground,  the  fact  that 
they  served  the  lost  cause.  They  will  then  do 
what  others  are  now  doing  who  were  engaged 
in  this  work  ;  confess  their  faults  and  ask  for- 
giveness. When  that  day  comes  I  trust  it 
will  not  be  so  difficult  for  a  man  to  perceive 
the  value  and  magnitude  of  the  truth,  that  he 
should  be  willing  to  allow  every  other  roan 
the  same  privileges  he  claims  for  himself, 
however  high  or  low,  rich  or  poor,  that  man 
mav  be,  of  whatever  race  or  color ;  not  to 


lUlUUS   J.   K.L1UW    1LI    UUI    Ol'O-lC,      rtl!      tluanfCA      L<7    v-uv/       II*«(T       . -  . 

question— how  are  the  States  filled  with  a  large   perceive  that  other  truth,  that  a  t 

black  population  to  take  that  people  out  of  deals  out  impartial  justice  is  alone  truly  pros 

the  hands  and  away -from  the  influence  of  ouV  perous  and  secure— that  such  a  State  then  can 


T 


have  no  entmy  in  the  bosom  of  its  society, !  or  black,  or  to  what  race    they  belonged 
and  is  equally  secure  against  foreign  enemies  |  They  will  be  good  enough  for  God 


or  domestic  treason. 


This  Government  of  ours  has  held  out  to 


But  it  is  said  there  are  other  reasons  why  a  !  the  world  the  principle  of  the  Declaration  of 
Union  man  in  Kentucky  cannot  ally  himself:  Independence,  that  all  men  are  born  free  and 
with  the  National  Union  Republican  party  equal.  But  you  know  how  fashionable  it 
and  support  General  Grant  for  the  Presi-  had  become,  in  latter  times  to  say  this  birth- 
dency.  Because,  in  fact,  they  'are  Radicals  in  right  belonged  only  to  white  men.  It  was 
favor  of  radical  measures,  and  Union  men  j  even  fashionable  in  some  places  to  read  it 
must  join  the  Democratic  party  to  put  down  j  "  all  white  men,"  etc.  But  our  fathers  meant 
Radicals.  I  by  it  all  men.  In  Europe  it  is  all  men  born 

Talk  about  voting  down  Radicalism! — j  of  certain  families  that  have  the  right  to  free- 
Gentlemen,  Radicalism  is  the  greatest  success  |  dom  and  equality.  For  the  Englishman  it  is 
of  modern  times.  It  fought  the  biggest  battles,  the  Queen  who  derives  her  right  from  God  to 
took  more  prisoners,  subdued  the  bravest  men  j  govern  the  nation,  and  transmits  it  to  her 
jmd  the  greatest  numbers  of  them,  that  was  j  children  ;  next  to  her,  it  is  the  nobles ;  next 
^•ver  done  in  any  age  or  country.  With  a  j  to  the  nobles,  some  fellow  who  has  made  a 
bankrupt  Treasury,  inherited  from  its  oppp- 1  fortune  selling  soap  and  tar,  and  who  is  only 
nents,  it  knew  how  to  raise  not  less  than  six  j  ambitious  (like  Edmund  About's  Frenchman) 
or  seven  thousand  millions  of  dollars,  and  to  marry  his  daughter  into  a  family  that  has 
fought  a  rebellion  to  its  death,  with  nearly  j  done  no  work  for  four  hundred '  years.  The 
hah  the  country  in  revolt  against  it.  after  j  idea  is  held,  there,  that  the  na||ss  of  mankind 
every  defeat  rising  in  unshaken  faith  that  are  too  ignorant  to  enjoy  the  right  of  suffrage. 
Almighty  God  ruled  the  destiny  of  the  United  But  the  true  American  idea  is  that  suffrage  is 
States  to"  higher  issues  ;  they  raised  armies  of  j  not  the  due  of  intelligence;  not^  i|e  due  of 
millions  of  men  ;  and  while  meeting  with  defeat  j  race,  wealth,  etc.,  but  knowing  no  practical 
after  defeat,  embarrassed  by  opposition  at  j  test  by  which  we  can  confine  it  to  the  virtuous 
home  and  mocked  by  the  rulers  and  nobles  of  i  and  intelligent  alone,  that  it  is  the  due  of  all  the 
Europe,  its  courage  rose  still  higher,  to  the ;  people. 

day  of  complete  victory.  While  the  struggle  ;  The  masses  of  mankind  are  what  might  be 
raged,  it  emancipated"  5,000,000  of  people, j  called  ignorant,  they  have  no  "  book  larnin," 
calling  a  race  to  life  and  liberty— a  fact  that  i  they  have  not  been  to  college,  a  great  many 
will  be  luminous  while  the  memory  of  the ;  cannot  read  and  write  ;  but  the  masses  of 
race  remains  among  men.  Do  you  think  this  mankind,  however  ignorant,  love  their  conn- 
Radicalism  could  te  scared  by  the  eternal  try,  work  for  it,  fight  for  it,  die  for  it.  They 
devil  ?  When  Hannibal,  alter  Cannae,  en- !  are  as  true  to-day  as  the  intelligent  portions 
camped  at  the  gates  of  the  city,  the  Romans  of  the  community.  Intelligence  alone  is  not 
put  up  for  sale  in  the  fo;um  the  ground  under)  a  sufficient  security  for  the  person  that  casts 
their  feet  ;  so  the  men  who  conquered  the  i  the  ballot.  Lucifer  was  not  wanting  in  intelli- 
rebellion.  while  it  was  yet  exulting  over  the  j  gence ;  he  was  the  brightest  of  the  sons  of 
defeat  of  Bull  Run.  opened  the  Treasury  and  j  God,  and  he  rebelled.  Jeff  Davis  and  Breck- 
built  up  the  Capitol,  higher  and  broader,  for  inridge  were  not  wanting  in  intelligence,  and 
the  future  Congress  of  the  Union.  they  committed  treason  against  their  country 

••  With  charity  for  all   and  malice   toward  i  and  against  mankind. 

none,  with  faith  in  the  right  as  God  gives  to  \  Those  things  which  will  govern  best  in  every 
wee  the  right,"  let  us  go  on  with  this  Union  I  land,  are  virtue  and  intelligence;  butthweisno 
cause ;  let  us  keep  the  standard  of  our  faith  plan  by  which  you  can  secure  them  unless  you 
full  high  advanced,  marching  under  it  with  let  every  person  vote,  save  'those  guUty  of crime. 
confidence  while  carried  in  the  hands  of  its  i  Show  me  how  you  will  get  all  the  virtue  and  intel- 
greatest  Captain.  Let  us  not  desert  that  Uigence  without  embracing  all  the  people,  and  1 
cause  and  run  after  that  cold  and  barren  feast  witt  give  up  my  right  to  vote.  He  that  loves  his 


to  which  the  Democratic  party  has  invited  us. 
This  political  organization,  like  the  institution 
of  slavery,  is  worn  out  and  broken  to  pieces 

TRUTH  TO   PROGRESS. 

We   are   to   advance   to  newer  and  better 


country,  however  ignorant,  will  find  out  how  to 
vote  right.  If  he  makes  a  mistake  to-day  he  will 
correct  it  to-morrw.  To  say  that  where  equal- 
ity prevails,  virtue  and  intelligence  will  be 
less  powerful  than  vice  and  ignorance,  is  to 
say  I  have  no  faith  in  God,  and  to  forget  that 
God  and  the  race  never  die  ;  that  He  employs 


issues.    A  true  Democratic  party  will  always  j  men  simply  to  work  out  His  designs,  cons- 


be  respected  in  the  eyes  of  the  lovers  of  the 
people,  because  the  lovers  of  the  people  rev- 
erence God  the  Father  of  the  people ;  that 


ciously  or  unconsciously,  willing  or  unwilling. 
It  forgets,  too,  that  vice  has  no  power,  except 


it  wears  the  mask  of  virtue.    4i  Hypocrisy  is 

God  who  makes  no  distinction  between  them,  j  the  homage  which  vice  pays  to  virtue,"  l«t  us 
When  they  come  to  His  heaven,    redeemed  i  remember, 
by  the  blood  of  His  Son,  who   died  for  all, ! 
it  will  aot  matter  whuthw  they  were   white ; 


FRUITS  OF  LIBERTY    AND  UNION  IN  1900. 

What  are  to  be  the  fruits  which  peace,  i 
born  of  liberty  and  justice,  shall  bear  to  this  j 
tend  when  the  year  1900  dawns  upon  it,  we  I 
do  not  know  at  large,  but  only  in  part  per-  \ 
ceive. 

There  then  will  be  in  this  broad  land  ofj 
ours,  according  to  the  progress  shown  by  the 
census   of  the   past    100,000.000    of  people. 
Some  7,000,000  of  these  people  will  be  blacks,  j 
This  vast  population  are  to  occupy  this  coun- 1 
try  from  the  Atlantic  shore   to   the  Pacific. ! 
They  are  to  be  the  foremost  people  on  the  j 
face  of  the  globe,  greater  in  real  population.! 
greater  in  wealth,  greater  in  the   magnitude  j 
and  number  of  their  cities,  in  the  number  and 
extent  of  their  farms,  and  in  agricultural  im- 
provements, in  manufactures  and  commerce  ;  I 
m  all  material  signs  of  progress  and  power  I 
than   any  nation  of  the  past.     So  much   for  I 
material  progress.    But  what  of  the  spiritual 
progress  of  so   great  and  rich  a  people,   all 
free,  and  equal,  under  laws  formed  by   the 
spirit  of  justice,  sustained  by  the  consent  ofj 
all  ?    It  would  require    the   inspiration   and  j 
the  tongue  of  St.  John  to  draw  that  picture. 
This  black  race   which  will   have  grown   to 
7,000,000,    will  have    relatively    decreased : 
instead  of  being  in  the  proportion  of  four  or 
five  millions  in  40,000,000.  as  now,  they  will 
have  decreased'  to  7.000.000  in   100,000.000. 

But  a  few  generations  will  show  that  the 
superior  capacity  of  the  white  race  will  grow 
it  out  as  surely  as  the  blue  grass  under  your 
feet  grows  out  "  the  trefoil  clover.'' 

All  that  is  needed  to  insure  this  result  is 
peace,  liberty  and  justice,  under  a  govern- 
ment administered  with  economy. 

Under  the  operation  of  these  principles, 
there   can  be  no   disfranchised   class.      The 
men  engaged  in  rebellion  constitute  a  class,  j 
Sooner  or  later  every  rebel  must  have  the ! 
same  privileges  under  the  laws  granted  to  j 
all  others.    Yes  these  privileges  must  be  ex-  j 
tended  even  to  those  who  took  part  in  the 
rebellion.      It  should   not.    cannot  be  long  | 
withheld  from  them. 


A   HEAVY   CONTRACT. 

The  work  of  putting  down  the  Radical 
party,  which  it  is  said  can  be  done  by  our 
joining  the  Democratic  party,  is  a  very  large 
contract.  This  Radical  party  crushed  a  Rad- 
ical rebellion-— the  greatest  piece  of  Radical- 
ism I  know  anything  of— which  but  for  Rad- 
icalism would  have  broken  up  our  country, 
stopped  her  progress  and  carried  us  back 
again  to  the  ideas  of  the  feudal  ages.  While 
this  Radicalism  was  putting  down  this  rebel- 
lion, it  finished  the  Capitol,  reai-ed  its  dome 
to  the  skies,  and  placed  upon  it  the  statute  of 
Liberty,  all  golden  this  day  with  the  beams 
of  this  June  sun.  When  that  year  1900  shall 
dawn,  other  wings  with  other  domes  perhaps 
still  grander,  will  have  been  added  to  accom- 
modate the  Congress  of  these  United. States. 

I  believe  that  future  generations,  who  enjoy 
these  blessings  of  Liberty  and  equality  in 
that  day,  will  look  back  with  pride  upon 
those  who  stood  by  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  in  these  days  of  trial,  and  chief 
among  soldier  braves  they  will  single  out 
for  praise  Ulysses  S.  Grant.  Our  love  toward 
the  whole  people,  and  our  faith  in  the  Father 
of  men  impels  us  to  the  standard  of  the  Union. 
The  success  of  the  principles  it  represents 
is  not  doubtful. 

They  may  not  triumph  to-day,  nor  in  Ken- 
tucky, but  to-morrow  and  elsewhere,  and 
here  at  last,  they  will  triumph.  Truth  has 
all  the  years  of  God  to  fight  her  battles. 
And  the  battle  once  began,  "  though  baffled 
oft,  is  ever  won."  Though  you  and  I  may 
not  live  to  see  the  perfect  day  of  liberty  and 
justice,  hope  and  work  ;  for  the  one,  it  is 
said,  is  simply  faith  in  God  ;  and  the  other, 
worship.  What  though  we  die,  humanity  will 
survive  while  the  earth  lasts ;  the  individual 
perishes,  but  the  race  is  immortal.  But  in 
this  present  contest  we  have  a  cause  and  a 
leader  hitherto  triumphant.  We  do  not  doubt 
but  that  the  banner  which  Grant  now  bears 
will  be  carried  to  final  victory  in  November, 
securing  to  us  and  to  our  posterity  a  lasting 
peace. 


FRANKLIN  PaiNTiNa  OFFICE,  509  CLAY  STREET,  AND  '  508  COMMERCIAL   STREET. 


Mdke 
Syracuse. 
P*T.  JAK.2I, 


